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It was such an easy, mindless gesture for him. A simple clap on the shoulder - the kind he gives Yuugi multiple times a day. The kind he gives Honda too, those rare times when Honda isn’t more deserving of a slap upside the head.
And then Kaiba hisses and recoils like a wounded snake, and suddenly there is nothing easy or mindless about how Jounouchi’s gesture is received. For the briefest of seconds, there is a different person beside him, one he knows nothing about, but one he can understand implicitly.
Then Kaiba is back. So quickly that Jounouchi isn’t completely sure that what he saw wasn’t a projection of himself from a different angle. His first instinct is to probe further, to communicate that he’s not a threat, to-
“Stop.” And so his efforts are cut off immediately. This is Kaiba, dangerous Kaiba, you-will-regret-your-words Kaiba. Jounouchi fears he may have already done some damage, so he drops the subject and moves on. He half expects Kaiba to storm out, but he doesn’t. His breathing relaxes, and Jounouchi wonders why he noticed such a detail.
As interesting as the incident was, Jounouchi thinks nothing more of it that night, and the following few days. It is only when Kaiba’s missed two weeks' worth of meet ups with them that his alarm bells begin to go off. A quick chat with Yuugi confirms that Kaiba hasn’t responded to any invitations, phone calls or emails in a fortnight.
Jounouchi feels responsible. Though he meant no harm, Kaiba’s hasty retreat confirms that whatever it is that Jounouchi stirred is deep and unyielding. Confirms that Kaiba is powerless to fight it, preferring to run away, withdraw even further into his cocoon of solitude. It speaks of trauma, and his methods of dealing with it are the same as his methods of dealing with everything else - stand strong and ignore.
Except Jounouchi knows better than anyone that such methods of walling off simply allow the trauma to fester. There is strength in others, and simply cutting off communication is a sign of weakness, weakness that Kaiba cannot overcome. There is too much pride involved.
He decides that he is not losing Kaiba to demons that he unknowingly brought forth. He’s closer to Kaiba than the others are, and he chastises himself for having taken so long to realize that Kaiba has shut them out. Knowing that it’s too late for phone calls - and what could he say, really, that won’t have Kaiba hanging up in a split second - he steps out of his father’s apartment, intent on walking to Kaiba Corp’s office building.
The skyline darkens as he walks, and Jounouchi wonders if he’s already too late. It’s been two weeks - two weeks that Kaiba’s been left alone with his thoughts and memories. Two weeks that he’s clearly taken to think and consider and decide and who knows what else. He could simply have Jounouchi thrown out of the building, and though he can take many on in a fight, the sheer number of security guards at Kaiba’s disposal would render his fighting prowess useless. No, he needs to keep his head. He needs to be the catalyst for the change that Kaiba wants to make, but doesn’t seem to know how. He did stay that night, after all.
He makes his way into the building, citing being Kaiba’s classmate to get past the front doors. The lobby is immaculate, the elevator ride smooth and quiet - too quiet for Jounouchi’s hammering heart. He won’t back down. He can’t. He has one chance here - if that.
When he hears Kaiba’s voice over the secretary’s intercom, his heart clenches. He listens intently as she speaks his name - and the silence that follows is deafening, and also telling. Kaiba expected him to come. Knows him well enough to understand that he won’t just sit idly by, allowing Kaiba to withdraw into himself without a fight.
When the heavy “let him in” comes quietly through the static of the intercom, Jounouchi exhales a breath he didn’t realize he’s been holding. He has a chance. Kaiba is willing to listen.
He places his hand on the handle of the ornate door to Kaiba’s office, taking a slow breath to calm himself for the coming battle of words and wills. He knows he can’t afford to be goaded by Kaiba’s defence mechanisms.
Jounouchi pushes the door open and steps into the room. He has one shot.
It’s go time.